By Achilles Hill | Last Updated
Outlook is a full-featured email client from Microsoft. However, sometimes you may encounter issues with Outlook not opening, which can be irritating and frustrating. There are several reasons that may lead to Outlook not opening. Such as wrong add-ons or extensions, corrupt files, corrupt user profiles, navigation pane issues.
In this post, I will share 7 ways to fix Outlook won't open. Simply keep reading it and you will find the solution that works for you.
Corrupt user profile may be the reason for not being able to open Outlook application, we can create a new user profile and check if it solves the issue of not being able to open outlook.
Step 1: Type Control Panel in the search bar and open it.
Step 2: Type mail in the search field of the control panel, then click on Mail (Microsoft Outlook) (32-bit) option in the search results, this will open the Mail Setup dialog box and select the Show Profiles option.
Step 3: Click the Add button in the pop-up Mail window, enter your Profile Name and then click OK.
Step 4: Fill in the details in the Add Account dialog box and click Next. Then click on the Finish button to save the changes. You will find the new profile name added listed on the General tab in the Mail dialog box. Once done, log in to Outlook using this account and see if it solves the issue of not opening.
Safe mode could help us troubleshoot the problem, but some features might not be available in this mode. In Safe Mode, all third-party integrations and add-ons are disabled, leaving only the basic available functionality. Similar to the way that Windows uses Safe Mode, so do most of the applications within the system. We can run Outlook in safe mode and see if the problem persists in this approach.
If Outlook stops responding on the screen that says "Processing", close Outlook, boot it in safe mode, simply press Windows+R keys simultaneously and type outlook /safe, click OK to launch outlook safe mode. Then close and open it normally to fix the issue.
Sometimes the installed extensions can cause the problem of not being able to open outlook. If you are using extensions, you can turn them off in Outlook to fix this issue.
Step 1: Open Outlook and move to File > Options.
Step 2: Click on Add-ins in the left pane, then click on the Go option in the right pane.
Step 3: Uncheck all boxes related to extensions to disable them. Click OK to confirm the change.
Step 1: Type Control Panel in the Start menu bar and open it. Locate the following location in the Control Panel address bar.
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and FeaturesStep 2: Your screen will show all installed programs, find Microsoft Office and right-click on it. And choose Change from it.
Step 3: In the pop-up window, select Quick Repair, and then click Repair. If Outlook still won't open after repairing, please re-select Online Repair and wait for the process to complete. Then check if the problem is resolved.
You may not be able to use Office apps due to temporary or corrupt errors. Most of the time, you can resolve these issues by restarting the system as they are temporary.
If you are using Outlook in compatibility mode, you may also encounter the problem of not being able to open it. You need to disable this mode to get Outlook starting and running like before.
Step 1: First, you need to find the location of outlook executable file.
For Outlook 2016 users, find the Outlook.exe file by navigating to the following location in File Explorer.
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\For Outlook 2013 users can navigate to the below location.
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 15\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office 15\For Outlook 2010 users can navigate to the below location.
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 14\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office 14\Step 2: Right-click on the Outlook.exe file and select Properties from it. In the Properties window that pops up, move to the Compatibility tab and if there are any checkboxes there, uncheck them all. Then click Apply and OK to complete the change.
Navigation pane startup issues can prevent Outlook from opening properly. Therefore, resetting the Navigation Pane may be able to solve such problematic errors.
Step 1: Press Windows+R simultaneously to open the Run dialog box, type Outlook.exe /resetnavpane and click OK to reset the navigation pane.
Step 2: Once done, try to open Outlook again and check if the problem has been solved.
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